1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bottle cartons that have apertures in a top panel for the necks of bottles and provide full protection for glass bottles. These cartons have been constructed so that they have a four-ply handle and two-ply top panels with apertures. In addition, it has a two-ply median panel that is foldably attached to one end of the carton. These cartons have been constructed so that they are easy to fold and glue on an in-line gluer. All of the fold lines for folding various panels and flaps of the carton are parallel to the longitudinal line of the gluer.
2. Background of the Invention
Right-angle gluers for folding and gluing cartons are timed and consequently make it relatively easy to fold and glue cartons. In-line gluers are not so timed, so it is more difficult to fold and glue a carton on an in-line gluer. It would be desirable to develop a neck-through the top carton that easily could be folded and glued on an in-line gluer. It would be necessary to have the various flaps and panels that are folded and glued arranged so that they simply can be flipped over 180xc2x0 and then glued to the appropriate panel or flap without undesirable bunching of the paperboard.
Glass bottles need protection around all sides of the bottles to minimize breakage. Glass bottles also need a carton with a strong handle to support the heavy weight of the filled bottles. All beverage bottlers like to have labels on the necks of bottles to promote their brand to consumers. There is a tendency for these labels to be damaged during loading or shipment by the apertures into which they extend in neck-through the top cartons. It would be desirable to find the way to minimize this from occurring.
It is the object of this invention to develop a neck-through the top carton to provide full protection for bottles that can be folded and glued on in-line gluers. It is a further object of this invention to develop a neck-through the top carton that has a handle that is strong enough to support filled glass bottles. It is another object of this invention to develop a neck-through the top carton which has apertures through which the necks of bottles extend which do not damage the labels on the necks of the bottles.
The objects of this invention have been obtained by providing a carton where all the fold lines for folding panels of the carton are parallel to the longitudinal line of the gluer. The neck through the top carton has a four-ply handle and two-ply top panels with apertures through which the necks of the bottles extend. The carton has cell dividers to separate each bottle from adjoining bottles and two-ply partition panels, each panel being foldably attached to one end of the carton. The partition panels, top median panels and a bottom keels face each other and are glued together provide additional support for the carton. In addition, partition panels may have end strips that are glued together.
The apertures in the top panels through which the necks of the bottles extend and have an arcuate extended opening projecting towards the handle panels to prevent damage to any labels on the necks of the bottles. The strength of this carton is enhanced by having two-ply top panels through which the necks of the bottles extend and a four-ply handle panel that is glued together to form an integrated structure.